Grinder for windshield wipers

ABSTRACT

A grinder includes a first side, a second side, a first piece of sandpaper attached to the first side and a second piece of sandpaper attached to the second side. The second piece of sandpaper is finer than the first piece of sandpaper. The first piece of sandpaper is used to grind and turn a tip of a rubber strip of a windshield wiper from broken to flat quickly. The second piece of sandpaper is used to make the tip of the rubber strip of the windshield wiper smooth. A first mark is provided on the first side for indicating a first step of a grinding process. A second mark is provided on the second side for indicating a second step of the grinding process.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to windshield wipers and, moreparticularly, to a grinder for windshield wipers.

2. Related Prior Art

Windshield wipers are important equipment for vehicles. The quality ofwindshield wipers determines whether rain can completely be wiped fromthe windshields of the vehicles. Whether rain can completely be wipedfrom the windshields determines whether drivers can have clear viewthrough the windshields. Clear view is very important for the safety ofthe drivers' safety and/or pedestrians who are nearby.

A typical windshield wiper includes a rubber strip for wiping rain froma windshield and a frame for carrying the rubber strip. When newlyinstalled, windshield wipers generally can wipe rain from windshieldscompletely. However, after used for some time, the rubber strips of thewindshield wipers will inevitably be hardened and fail to wipe rain fromthe windshields completely. In early days, users have no choice but toreplace used windshield wipers with new ones. Later, users can onlyreplace used rubber strips with new ones. Now, users can grind hardenedtips of used rubber strips of windshield wipers so that the used rubberstrips of the windshield wipers can become like new.

Disclosed in Taiwanese Patent M267123 is a grinder for windshieldwipers. The grinder includes two plates 11 each formed with a first bentportion 213 and a second bent portion 223. A piece of sandpaper 40 isattached to the first bent portion 213 of each of the plates 11.

The plates 11 are connected to each other so that the first portions 213form a V-shaped structure and that the second portions 223 form aV-shaped structure. A cotton fabric 50 is attached to the second bentportion 223 of each of the plates 11. The sandpaper 40 can grind a tipof a rubber strip of a windshield wiper. The cotton fabrics 50 can cleanthe tip of the rubber strip of the windshield wiper. This conventionalgrinder has proven to be ineffective in removing a harden tip of arubber strip of a windshield wiper.

The present invention is intended to obviate or at least alleviate theproblems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a grinder includes a first side, asecond side, a first piece of sandpaper attached to the first side and asecond piece of sandpaper attached to the second side. The second pieceof sandpaper is finer than the first piece of sandpaper. The first pieceof sandpaper is used to grind and turn a tip of a rubber strip of awindshield wiper from broken to flat quickly. The second piece ofsandpaper is used to make the tip of the rubber strip of the windshieldwiper smooth. A first mark is provided on the first side for indicatinga first step of a grinding process. A second mark is provided on thesecond side for indicating a second step of the grinding process.

The primary advantage of the grinder of the present invention is thatthe first piece of sandpaper can grind and turn a tip of a rubber stripof a windshield wiper from broken to flat and the second piece ofsandpaper can make the same smooth.

Other advantages and features of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described through detailed illustration ofthe preferred embodiment referring to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grinder for windshield wipersaccording to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a windshield wiper ground by means ofthe grinder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial side view of the windshield wiper shown inFIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the windshield wiper shown in FIG. 4 ground bymeans of a first piece of sandpaper of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the windshield wiper shown in FIG. 4 ground bymeans of a second piece of sandpaper of the grinder shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 is a grinder for windshield wipers accordingto the preferred embodiment of the present invention. The grinderincludes a top 10, a bottom 20, a first flank 15, a second flank 25 andtwo taper ends.

The top 10 is substantially a convex surface except a groove 16 definedin a middle portion 13 between two lateral portions 11. A first piece ofsandpaper 18 is attached to the floor of the groove 16. Made on one ofthe lateral portions 11 of the top 10 is a mark 12 such as “STEP 1.” Themark 12 may be written, painted, embossment or intaglio. The mark 12 maybe replaced with a sticker.

The bottom 20 is substantially a convex surface except a groove 26defined in a middle portion 23 between two lateral portions 21. A firstpiece of sandpaper 28 is attached to the floor of the groove 26. Made onone of the lateral portions 21 of the bottom 20 is a mark 22 such as“STEP 2.” The mark 22 may be written, painted, embossment or intaglio.The mark 22 may be replaced with a sticker.

The first piece of sandpaper 18 is coarser than the second piece ofsandpaper 28. That is, the first piece of sandpaper 18 includes biggerabrasive particles than the second piece of sandpaper 28 does.

Hence, the first piece of sandpaper 18 can grind a harden tip of arubber strip of a windshield wiper faster than the second piece ofsandpaper 28 can. The first piece of sandpaper 18 however leaves acoarser tip of the rubber strip of a windshield wiper than the secondpiece of sandpaper 28 does.

The flanks 15 and 25 are concave so that a user can conveniently holdthe grinder.

Shown in FIG. 4 is the grinder for grinding a rubber strip 31 of awindshield wiper 30 installed on a rocker 32 of a vehicle.

Referring to FIG. 5, the rubber strip 31 includes a tip 311 (or “edge”)that is hardened and broken (or made serrate). There are a lot of deepcuts in the tip 311 of the windshield wiper 30.

Referring to FIG. 6, the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31 is ground bymeans of the first piece of sandpaper 18. To this end, the grinder ismoved to and fro on the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31. The groove 16receives the rubber strip 31 so as to keep the first piece of sandpaper18 on the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31. As mentioned, the first pieceof sandpaper 18 is course so that it can quickly grind the tip 311 ofthe windshield wiper 30. The first piece of sandpaper 18 makes the tip311 of the rubber strip 31 flat but not smooth. Now, the tip 311 of therubber strip 31 is less smooth than when it is made.

Referring to FIG. 7, the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31 is ground bymeans of the second piece of sandpaper 28. To this end, the grinder ismoved to and fro on the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31. The groove 26receives the rubber strip 31 so as to keep the second piece of sandpaper28 on the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31. As mentioned, the second pieceof sandpaper 28 is fine so that it can grind and make the tip 311 of thewindshield wiper 30 smooth. Now, the tip 311 of the rubber strip 31 isalmost as smooth as when it is made.

The grinder according to the present invention exhibits advantages.Firstly, it can grind and turn a tip of a rubber strip of a windshieldwiper from broken to flat and smooth. Secondly, it indicates thatdifferent pieces of sandpaper can be used in different phases.

The present invention has been described through the illustration of thepreferred embodiment. Those skilled in the art can derive variationsfrom the preferred embodiment without departing from the scope of thepresent invention. Hence, the preferred embodiment shall not limit thescope of the present invention defined in the claims.

1. A grinder for a windshield wiper, the grinder comprising: a housingincluding a top, a bottom, first and second ends and first and secondflanks, with the top being opposite to the bottom; a first piece ofsandpaper attached to the top; a second piece of sandpaper attached tothe bottom, wherein the second piece of sandpaper is fine sandpaper andthe first piece of sandpaper is coarse sandpaper; a first mark on thetop for indicating a first step of a grinding process using the coarsesandpaper; and a second mark on the bottom for indicating a second stepof the grinding process using the fine sandpaper.
 2. The grinderaccording to claim 1 wherein the first mark is an embossment.
 3. Thegrinder according to claim 1 wherein the first mark is an intaglio. 4.The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the second mark is anembossment.
 5. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the second markis an intaglio.
 6. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the topdefines a groove for receiving the first piece of sandpaper, with thegroove extending between the first and second ends and spaced from thefirst and second flanks.
 7. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein thetop is outwardly convex from the bottom and between the first and secondflanks.
 8. The grinder according to claim 7 wherein the top defines agroove for receiving the first piece of sandpaper, with the grooveextending between the first and second ends and spaced from the firstand second flanks.
 9. The grinder according to claim 8 wherein the topcomprises two lateral portions between which the groove is located,wherein the first mark is provided on one of the lateral portions. 10.The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the bottom defines a groove forreceiving the second piece of sandpaper, with the groove extendingbetween the first and second ends and spaced from the first and secondflanks.
 11. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the bottom isoutwardly convex from the top and between the first and second flanks.12. The grinder according to claim 11 wherein the bottom defines agroove for receiving the second piece of sandpaper, with the grooveextending between the first and second ends and spaced from the firstand second flanks.
 13. The grinder according to claim 12 wherein thebottom comprises two lateral portions between which the groove islocated, wherein the second mark is provided on one of the lateralportions.
 14. (canceled)
 15. The grinder according to claim 1 whereinthe flanks are concave towards each other and between the first andsecond ends.
 16. The grinder according to claim 13 wherein the top isoutwardly convex from the bottom and between the first and secondflanks.
 17. The grinder according to claim 16 wherein the top defines agroove for receiving the first piece of sandpaper, with the groove ofthe top extending between the first and second ends and spaced from thefirst and second flanks.
 18. The grinder according to claim 17 whereinthe top comprises two lateral portions between which the groove of thetop is located, wherein the first mark is provided on one of the lateralportions of the top.
 19. The grinder according to claim 18 wherein theflanks are concave towards each other and between the first and secondends.
 20. The grinder according to claim 19 wherein the first and secondends are tapered between the top and the bottom.